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Oats

It was good enough for Goldilocks so it should be good enough for you!

Start your day with a bowlful of porridge and you will be doing your body a power of good.

A hefty serving, made with half milk and half water, will fill you up for hours, give you about a quarter of your daily calcium requirement, and add up to only about 200 calories.

At the same time you will be taking in the highest amount of protein, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, thiamin, folacin and vitamin E of any other unfortified whole grain, like wheat, barley or rice.

Add to all that its ability to lower your cholesterol levels and you have a wonder food that will warm the cockles of your heart on any winter's morning!

The magic of oats lies in their high soluble fibre content which means of your body can use it very efficiently and turn it into slow release energy.

The same soluble fibre is now known to be contained in a range of other foods like grapefruit, prunes, kidney beans and even broccoli. But given the choice of starting the day with a steaming bowl of milky goodness or a plate of prunes there is no doubt that the Scots got it absolutely right.

Remember though that oats are not your only answer. Although it consists of 55 per cent soluble fibre, the experts say you would still need to eat about four bowls a day in order to get the amount they recommend.

So start the day with your oats and then top up your fibre with other good sources like broccoli and kidney beans.

No time? Try our quick fix oats

Last thing at night put 1/8pt of jumbo organic oats in a large pyrex dish. Add 1/4pt milk and 1/4pt water. Stir and cover.
Put into the microwave and cook on full power for 3 minutes and go off to bed. The porridge will cook itself in its own heat.
In the morning, heat it for approx. 2 mins and stir thoroughly.
Then tuck into delicious, creamy, warm porridge that will charge you up for the rest of the day. Eat it on its own or top with honey, raisins or a little brown sugar.